Rotary engine.



F. TOMPKINS.

RTARY ENGINE.

APPLIHATION FILED JULY so, 190s.

mama F0b.15,1910.

pow/Wl); Enya/17,55

FRANKLIN TOMBKINS, OF NEW DORP, NEW YORK.

RQTARY ENGINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 15, 1910.

Application filed July 30, i909. Serial No. 510,409.

To all -zrtom it may concern.

lle it known that I, FRAXKLIN Tmtriiixs,

a eitizvn ot' the. United States, and residing at New Dorp, Staten Island, in the county of llirhznond and State of New York. have invented certain new and useful Improveint-nb iu Rotary Engines, of which the following a sperilieation7 sueh as will enable those fl-:illed in the art to which is appertains to umh and use the suine. Thisn invention relates to rotary engines and the object thereo is to provide an iniprowd engine of this class which. is simple in ronstrurtion and operation and which will operate u ith a niaxinuun of ellicieney, aud without leakage or loss of power; and with thi and other objects in view the invention consists' in a rotaryv engine constructed as hereinafter desrrihed and claimed.

YThe invention is fully described in the t'ollt lng speeitleation of which the aecomnl drawing forms a part. in which the nate parts of my improvement are des- 'renate-d lg.- suitable reference ehararters .in

nach of the viewsI and in Whieh Figure l is a side View o t' niv improved rotary engine, part of the construction being; broken away. Fig. 2. a horizontal section on the lin 2-2 of Fig. l. Fig. 3. an inside view of the har-l: part ofthe easing of the engine detached. Fig. 4. an inside view of the i" ront part ot' the easingr of the engine dotar-lied and showing the operative interior parts of the engine mounted therein. Fig. 5. a side edge view of une of thepiston blades whirl. i employ and .showing a spring oonueeled therewith. Fig. 6A a 'view looking in thil diroetiun of the arrow of Fig. and taken in the line tl-G otsaid ligure, and Fie; a partial section on the line -T of Fig. 2'..

In the practice ot' inyinvention I provide a circular easing a. composed of separate Side parts n: and n and for the purpose of this dewriptiun the side parts rz'-l and a will be called respvttix'el-v the front and hat-lr. part nl' the rairj.

'lhe frontaud bank parts a,2 and a3 of the using a are provided with annular' flanges .1 l whieh the)Y are connected uid within the. said fusing and formed in the separate parts thereof is a central circular f-hainber u inrlnsed by a Central annular chamber Il also toi-mod in the .separato parts of the eas ine und the annular ehamber u" placed in conmnzneation with the central circular,

chamber aT by an annular space a` and the said annular chamber a and the ventral eirrular chamber a5 are separated by annular walls a in which are formed annular grooves al forming an annular space between the central circular chamber a." and the outer annular chamber a.

Passing in\\'ardly-tlnough the frontV part nf the casing a and eceentrieall;v of the chainoer a5 thereof is a. sha ft Z the inner end of which has a bearing in the back part. a of said easing as shown at b2 and that part of-the shaft within the casing a, in the forni of construction shown is enlarged to forni a hub b3 and said hub is provided with radial arms four of which are shown and in which are mounted slidahly inova'nie piston blades o provided centrally of their outer edges with neolrs ("2 which pass outwardly through the annular space as and are provided with transverse trunnions c which fit in and are adapted to turn through the annular chamber a and said trnnnions are provided attheir opposite ends with anti-friction sleeves or rollers c.

Placed in the annular space formed by the annular grooves a are curved Springs al which are connected with necks e2 of the piston blade c as shown in Figs. 5 and 6. said springs being provided rentrait)Y with recesses d2 and the springs d are of such length that the ends tbereotl overlap in the annular spare formed by the annular grooves fr. The hub 2; o' the shaft ."r is also provided, in the form of con:-ttruCt.ion shown, with longitudinal recesses L, and the radially movable piston blades are provided at their inner edges with corresponding projections b adapted to enter said recesses.

The back art of the easing a is provided with radial y directed tubular coupling,r members e and f forming inlet and exhaust passages, and for the purpose of this description the passage c2 will be described as the inlet. and the passage f2 as the exhaust, and these passages communicate with the central circular chamber a by means of portsl e and f3 which are clearly shown in Figs. 2 and 3 and the positions of which,

for the purpose of this description. are indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 4 and in the form of construction shown in the inlets e? and the exhaust f: and the eorrespoiuling ports fait and f" are plared horizontally or in a horizontal plane and in the baal; wall of the central circular chamber a5 are formed upwardly and downwardly directed grooves or retesses ct, c and f" and f5 which communisteam. in which event power ma)VV he trans- The front part a.' of the casing a is provided with :i central circular enlargement g, and the bat-l; part ai of said casing; with a g1', in which the central circular chamber a5 is foi-ined and said parts of the easing are ments gE and g4 respectively in which the annular chambers a is formed. and the bottoni of the central circular chamber a5 is provided, preferably at the back side thereof with a drain tap or similar device g5 for the purpose of glraining of water of conden- Tlie front part a? of the casing a is also prop iiiitted by or from the shaft b for any decate with the. corresponding ports e3 and f3.

sired purpose, it will he apparent that the said device ina-i' he used as a punip for puiiiping water or other liquids, in which Y event, power is applied to rotate the shaft 7), corrcspondir;r central circular enlargement.

said power being; obtained from any suit- Vfable source, and when the said device is rotary engine.

sation which may forni in said clianiher. and e; and j* and f5 which con nninicate re- Yided with a pedestal or hase `o'3 whereby i the said engine nia) be Supported on any suitable support and secured thereto it dcsited.'

"the operation will he readily understood from the. foregoing description when taken in connection with the accoinpanyingl drawing and the followiuff statementthereof. lf steani be adiniired through the inlet and ports es, the shatt I), arms b and piston blades will be turned in the direction of the arrow ai of Fig. 4 aud the steam will be use-il in this manner the water or other liqalso provided'with other annular enlargei nids will enter through one of the ports c or 7, and be discharged through the other accordial@lr to the direction in which the shaft Z) is turned, and the operation of the piston blades c will be the same when the device is used in this inannei as when it is used as a 'lllie grooves o' recesses e4 sportivi-ly with the ports e" and f3 are of particular use and advantage when the derice is user.. as a pump, as abo\'e described, by reason of the fact that liquids are not capable of compression and as the dimensions o1' the sectorial compartments formed in che central circular chamber rl" hy the arms o* and blades c are constantly chang;-

ing, and as the said coiiipariiiients are filled with liquids, it 1s necessary to facilitate the exhausted through the port ft and passage j: as will be readilyl understood. desired to reverse the engine the steam is admitted thereto through the passage j: and he port: f5 and in this case the shaft Zi. ariiis and piston blades c will be turned in the J' CMT." 1 f; t... .4.

lf it is l exhaust of said liquids from said compartments and this necessity is provided for by the said grooves or recesses: e* and e and f* and fi' in connection with the corresponding ports e? and f3.

M1: invention in addition to heilig used as a rotary engine and as a pump as hereinlit-,fore described, may also he used as an air roiiipi'essor, and may also he used as :i rorect'ioii of the arrow g/ of Fig. -l-. lt will uiii'lersi-iod that any suitalile means or? .ipaiatus may he employed for i'e'er inf .ne engine. hun as; said iiirans forni no part r arios and piston hlades c diride thtx ceiij:

trai f :irwilar cliaiiihcr c5 into separate scciorial compartments the dimensions ofI which are @instantly changing, as the shaft i arms Zff and piston lilade.. r.- turn iii said chamber. and the grooves and rec es and 5 and and ff' which coiiiinuizicate re s oeciiveljv with the portf; e; and f" are intended to acvoinuiodatt'l the. apparatus to this change iii the dimension of the said sec.- g tfriai Compartment. and to prevent. the iiudue compression of the contents tliereot', or i the expansion and consequent formation of a vacuum therein.

Although l have described my unprovetary cngiiie with compre-'Sed air as a propelling inediuzii.

lv the niezius of the construction herein descrilwd, and h v thc usent' the springs# and the annular space /i.' iu which said springs arc placed and which is substantially lilled hy said springs and the einployiiieut ot' the annular chamber a whirli is separated from the central circula r rhaiiiber u iu themanner described, l provide. against. the leakage ot strani when the device is used as :i rotary engine. or 'the leakage ot' water or other liquids when the derive is used as a pumpv` to a greatcrteiit, and in this wa}v my improveniciit when used either as a rotary engine or :is a pump ina)J be operated with the greatest possible percentage of efticicney and the least possible redui-tiou in loss o1" power.

'l'liiobject of providing the recesses o in the huh /f of the shaft and tho corn-spondiiig projections L on the piston blades c is to iin-wasn tho radial dimensions of said hladts .-o as io strengthen aurl stillen them when at the liinit of their outward moveiiuiit in the :iria-z and prcreiit the twisting or clamping ot said hlades' as they are carried around h v the shaft b.

Although l. have described the parts a2 and (L3 of the casing a, as the front and back parts of said casinfbr it will be apparent that these terms are merely relative and either side of said casing may be called the front or bach, it desire( M'v invention is not limited to the exact details ot' the construction herein shown and described. and various changes therein and modilicationev thereof may be made, within the .scope of the appended claims, without departing from the spirit ot' in v invention or sacriticine' its invention.

llavinlcr fully described in v invention 'what l claim as new and desire to secure by Let'- ters latcnt iSI- l. In a rotary engine or pump, a easing provided with a central circular chamber. an annular chamber inclosingti therentral circular chamber and in communication therewith bv an annular aSsage, a Shaft passing cccentrically through said central circular chamber and provided with radial arms, .slidablv movable piston blades mounted in said arms and provided with necks passing through said annular space and provided at their outer ends with transverse trunnions movable in said annular chamber, and inlet and exhaust ports communicating,r with said central circular chamber. i

:2. ln a rotar)v engine or pump, a casing provided with a central circular chamber, an annular chamber int-.losing the central circular chamber. and in communication therewith b v an annular passage, a Shaft passing eccentrieally through Said central circular chamber and provided with radial arms slidahly movable piston blades mounted in said arms and provider with necks passingr through said annular space and provided at their outer ends with trausveizsc trunnionsi movable in said annular chamber, and inlet and exhaust ports comnmnicatiney with said central circular chamber, the walls of the said central circular chamber being provided bctween said chamber and the annular chamber with annular grooves separated b v saiil annular spare and'cnrved plate springs mounted in .said grooves` and connected with the net-lcs of said piston blades.

3. In a rotarj1 engine or pump, a casing provided with a central circular chamber, an annular chamber inclosing the central circular chamber and in communication therewith by an annular passage. a shaft passing cccentt'icallv through said central circular chamber and provided with radial arms. .Qlidabl'v movable piston blades mounted in Said arms and provided with necks passing through said annular space and provided at their outer ends with transver.:e trunnions movable in said annular chamber, and inlet and exhaust ports communicating,r with said central circular chamber, the, walls of the said central circular chamber being provided between said chamber and the annular chamber with annular `grooves separated b ,v said annular space and curved plate springs mounted in Said grooves and connected with the, necks of Said piston blades, said journals beiner also provided with ant i-triet ional sleeves.

4. ln a rotary engine, a circular casing provided with a central circular chamber, an annular chamber inclosing the central circular chamber and in communication therewith b v means ot' an annular space, a shaft passing eecentrically through said central circular chamber. and provided with radial arm, Slidably movable pieton blades mounted in said arms and provided with necks which pasa through Said annulax` space. said necks; being provided with transverse trunntons movable in said annular chamber and inlet and evhaue't ports or passages communicating with said central circular chamber through one side of the easing, .smid side ol the casing being?r provided at its inner face with oppositelv directed grooves or recesses which connuunicate with Said ports or passages.

Vln testimoxnY that l claim the foregoing as my invention l have. signed my name in presence of the subscribing witnesses this 29th day of July 1909.

FRAXIUN TGMIKIXS. lYi tnessfes '11. ll. CANtIeLn., (l. ll. Munn-1min' 

